Repeating Cycle
by Kylandor
Summary: T for violence, mild gore, moderate language and romantic themes. The future has come, the year is 2024 and mankind has built their first android. With it's high popularity the honor of being the first fictional character turned reality is Hatsune Miku and her new chief of security is an ex-mercenary who is looking for an honest living until "Angels" start talking to both of them.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Future

"Utopia or Dystopia, call it what you will but either way it doesn't change that we live in a hell on Earth, that is the future."

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Foreword, Disclaimer and Content Warning: Contains serious themes regarding ideology, politics and religion. If you are an intolerant moron who doesn't appreciate a good graphic novel then find some fantasy kiddy tale to read, those who have an open mind or appreciate a good graphic novel may continue reading on, if you place a review keep it constructive, flames and bashing will be ignored, don't even bother, they wont influence me or this story. I am not making a serious prediction of the future nor am I trying to shove my political view, religious view or any other viewpoint on other people, this is a work of fiction. The character Ray Zenji is an OC and in extension is a self-insert of my personality based on how I would react to certain situations, any other names are owned by their respective owners or are pure coincidence if you happen to have that character's name or that organization/corporation/group/cult happens to have a real life counterpart of the same name, the similarity is coincidental.

Real world Nations (though not their real world leaders) will be depicted here, fictional nations won't be sprouting up like weeds so expect nations like Iran and North Korea to be mentioned directly or indirectly. Again if you have a problem with this, find another story to read.

I will NOT post direct or explicit sexual content in this story, any pervert with the idea of Hatsune Miku being displayed in an indecent manner can go browse vocaloid stories under the M category and if you don't find anything then well, it ain't my problem.

In some cases the auto-correct will change their to there or vise versa (it has happened sometimes) or it will just slip my mind. I double check my work and take care in the spelling and grammar, some errors might happen and I am doing what I can to keep them back.

Romance will exist in this story though I will not say who, how or why as that would be a spoiler however the content of this story will be T.

The reason for this long disclaimer is because this fiction is in an extremely serious tone without crossing the T rating and this is a warning for people who are over-sensitive on content, keep this disclaimer in mind when you decide to post a review, it will only be here in chapter 1 so don't expect it to appear in 2, 3, 4, etc. etc.

One last thing.

If you have any problems with a pairing of an OC and a vocaloid character, you can't blame me, most of you have probably had the same idea and some may have done it here on in other stories, we all have our dreams and ideas and you can look to the theory that there are other universes if you're the kind of person to insist a character is your "waifu" find another universe to mess around with, this particular story and universe has been taken.

And yes I do have a sense of humor, it is literal and sarcastic in most cases.

Enjoy the story.

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Date: March 27th, 2026 AD l Location: Tokyo, Japan

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The Future...

A place of uncertainty for the quality of life as although the governments continue to say all is good, all is not good. Places once crime free in the 2010s are now ridden with gangs and violence, world war three has come and gone and we lost, the middle east had been conquered by madmen by 2018 and a foreign PMC corporation that was just getting started known today as PMC Sentinel or simply Sentinel was the one who took it back.

Sentinel's high military presence and occupation of the middle east allowed their corporation access to impressive contracts that extended beyond the military sector and soon they became the sole face of the Middle East's political and military decisions, the nations there being figureheads, what was once a religiously fervent subcontinent had been reduced to puppets of a multinational corporation but that wasn't the end of it, world war three was unsung because of the fact that it was numerous proxy wars across the globe spearheaded by PMCs.

Financial corporations became dominant in the peaceful world by 2020, having near absolute dominance of the economy of Europe and the United States and when Russia erupted into civil war, the PMCs of the world became heavily involved with both sides of the conflict until finally in 2022 Siberia was recognized as Independent and the border of Kazakhstan to the pacific was a new nation who owed it's security and military entirely to PMCs. In 2023 Hong Kong separated from China after the PRC attempted to crack down hard on "dissidents" resulting in a local PMC buying substantial equipment with support from Hong Kong's administration, the war ended last month with a Chinese victory but the cost was too great with more than 35% of the forces committed being wiped out whilst few defenders of Hong Kong survived to tell the truth of what would be known as the Hong Kong Massacre.

In this year, the world is gripped by corporations seeking profit by any means necessary, these wars whilst separate constitute what WW3 really was, an endless series of proxy wars fought by dying governments and rising Privatized Military Companies as nations such as the US were more unwilling to officially engage in military affairs they then turned to the PMCs as an excuse, investing heavily in them and their parent companies so they could wage their wars without risking their homelands to the field of battle and in the process the entire western world was under the thumb of various corporations and the rest of the world was either following suit or was the victims of the proxy wars with Africa a prime example as both governments and rebel groups hired PMCs to train soldiers or fight alongside in the various civil wars. War used to be something to be avoided and now it has become just another form of business.

My story started long before all of this begun, before the world became hell, before Humanity sold their souls for fame, success and power.

It began in 1993, and when it ends, it will be in blood.

Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.

I was 26 in 2019 when the PMCs were in the thick of it in places like Syria, Lebanon and Israel, places which used to be peaceful in the new millennium only for war to return. Sickness had claimed my close relatives and shifting policies of greed had deprived me of a meaningful living, I was forced to sign up as a PMC and by the end of 2020, I had left the business to become freelance, taking whatever work I could, wherever I could.

My name is Ray Zenji and it wasn't until recently that I realized that human affairs were being manipulated and puppeted by beings far more powerful than us. But they feared something, they feared our potential to create. Eventually the day came when we surpassed our own limitations, where we made others like us.

They could speak, feel and live. They were alive.

It began with her that day, the day I decided not to succumb to their influence, the day I decided that synthetics need not be our enemy. Surely others had the same thought in the cycles before but they, they who dare care themselves angels in service of God manipulated events so that the war would continue. Be it stoking the fires of bigotry or moving a corpse to send a nuke into a sanctuary.

To an even greater extent they sometimes bombarded people with thoughts of starting over completely, not rebuilding civilization which could then surpass them.

It began 150,000 years ago and perhaps long before then. But it ends here.

And that is why this thing, this Seraph who dare call herself an angel, who dare try to say she serves God, lies dead at my feet, killed by an old weapon, a sword.

But this chapter did not begin with this alien's permanent demise. It began, with a simple job.

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POV - Raymond Zenji l Age : 31 l Date: May 3rd, 2024 l Mexican Descent, slightly lighter skin tone. Eyes : Dark Brown l Hair : Black l Height : 5"8 (Five feet & eight inches) l Birth Place : California, United States

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Ray sighed, waiting for his resume to be reviewed by the rather eccentric potential employer. It's a simple security job right? Keep this android's private estate secure right? The man treated the machine like it was a person, sure it had a known Virtual Intelligence and had a personality matrix to mimic human behavior to an extent but it was still programmed to do certain things, sure that involved singing but they had made it lifelike. The how they kept saying was a trade secret though Ray's hearing had been honed thanks to modern technology, cybernetics had enabled implanted hearing aids and other applications, mainly he used them to assist on the jobs he carried out, being in mental control of the device's settings though his augments were not that massive, merely ocular implants, ear implants and a neural interface for managing an AR display which also included monitors on his health and biology, if he had gotten so much as a cold he would know before his body showed symptoms.

The real security work would be at the concerts as this "Vocaloid" used to be property of an older corporation until this new corporation, Kazahana Industries had seized most if not all of Japan's financial sector, being the main dominant corporation and it's predecessor's holdings having faded into the record books.

They had given it a name, Hatsune Miku. (Or Miku Hatsune if not introduced in Japanese manner, they introduced themselves family name first given name last.)

Sure she had an impressive fanbase beforehand when she was just a computer program but now they had built a body to go with the name, one they said was exactly like the human body only with improvements to strength and speed, in effect although it was organic in nature it held the physical capabilities of a Cyborg and perhaps that is what it was as it did have mechanical components. It was designed in such intricacy that it didn't need a "Battery" or any kind of fuel cell, operating the same way humanity does, through nutrients and hydration, in short it ate and drank.

Ray's name was called and he was given a draft of the contract which they kind of expected him to sign away though he took his time and read the details, making sure there was nothing there that would cause any personal problems and after a minute of reading was satisfied and signed the contract. It was only for two years right? That's two years of mostly peace and quiet instead of the frantic job to job manner he had been doing beforehand and most of those jobs were odd jobs such as being a delivery boy to being a hit man though he always was picky on the job. He made sure he was aware of what he was delivering or he wouldn't even consider the job, he always worked odd jobs through some intermediary instead of doing it himself and he bugged them so that he could both speak from safety and hear every word, if the intermediary strayed from his expectations or if any tampering was done to the transmitter and receiver then he left the intermediary to rot and found another and never took the job. As a hit man he only went after people who had committed heinous acts which had evidence to support them but a corrupt corporation or government was keeping the law from doing it's job. He was well known for following his conscience over the job and if he had been lied to, made sure they would never lie again, cleaning up the employers instead of what would have been an innocent victim, this made him feared and respected in the underground as he would be known by a nickname he hopes he doesn't have to hear again.

"The Grim Reaper."

The low knew him well, the law was oblivious as he was always so careful, leaving no evidence and pulling off otherwise humanly impossible feats thanks to his heightened perceptions from augmentations and at the same time a lack of any physical evidence and non-magnetic materials being used in the augments, working in tandem with his nervous system which made his transition through metal detectors incident free, he was so effective that he could walk through an airport in the US armed with enough firepower to destroy a small town. It had earned him another nickname.

"The Ghost"

Satisfied with his contract and his new residence for two years he was lead to a limousine which would be taking him to the estate in a more sub-urban part of Tokyo, out of the public eye in a sense and isolated enough that security was easy so that some stupid fanboy couldn't sneak in or barge in.

* * *

Ray walked into the mansion with a duffel bag slung over his back, he was insistent that he was the one who would carry it in. In the times before the announcement of the first "Real Live Vocaloid" the virtual program had evolved to the point where it was used by the owning corporation to construct a large number of concerts involving the digital form and suddenly stopped using it only to announce the first realistic android in all of (recorded) history. He had never cared much for the songs though like several others was very interested in the fashion sense (except for one outfit) of the character.

Taking a look around he noticed the large space that was the main room of the mansion, though it was designed to western standards and thus he needn't remove his shoes or any other thing like that. Because of the corporate pressure being all powerful, Japan's previous high gun restrictions were assigned exemptions to hired security and therefore Ray took clear advantage of this. In his duffel bag was an old M4A1 Carbine modified with a rail sight instead of a handle sight meaning the gun had a slightly lower profile and was painted fully in black, he had 10 magazines of 5.56mm NATO rounds, each holding 30 rounds, the gun itself had a customized trigger, grip and lower mount which could also be used to hold other customizations. An attachable flashlight, laser sight and three scopes, a thermal, an ACOG and a new design which was effectively a SONAR scope which sent SONAR pulses outward to locate targets behind cover in addition to a holographic crosshair in the center of the scope. He also had an even older rifle, an M1 Garand in the bag and 10 magazines of 30-6 rounds, each holding 8 bullets and the rifle itself was vintage, having seen some use in WW2 before eventually reaching his personal collection. It was restored well and in perfect operating condition and had a specially designed scope which was a normal optical scope capable of accurately viewing targets up to 500 meters out and was capable of being fitted onto the body of the rifle. A sidearm was also there, an M1911A1 .45 ACP pistol and also well maintained, 20 magazines were in the duffel bag holding 7 rounds each. The rest were various books ranging from old novels like War of the Worlds and The Time Machine to popular Japanese manga series such as Naruto or even Marvel and DC Comics issues, Ray had become a bit of a bookworm after leaving the PMCs.

One book stood out amongst the others as it was in a separate pouch on the duffel bag and was visible to other people, it was a Bible.

Setting the bag in his room he got his things in order and was told a few things which were summarized as...

Don't become surprised if Miku decides to chat, she was programmed to be social and has a very intricately designed personality courtesy of her designer.

Miku possesses a set of parameters to mimic social acceptance though still has parameters to follow orders from those with authority, meaning she has a simulated sense of right and wrong though if they are violating contracts or laws then she has no obligation to do so.

Miku has no artificial memories or the like and is expected to be physically between 19 and 22 years of age based on her appearance whilst in reality she is only six months old, her public revelation being recent and the past five years being a period of fine adjustments and other modifications to her mechanical functions.

She requires food and drink much like any human and also has hygiene requirements like any human which means he should expect her to have human habits such as being hungry and needing privacy for bathing and the less mentioned necessities of human function (Waste)

She also thus requires sleep and has a limit to her stamina which is connected to her eating habits, her intricacy is so well designed in fact that it was more like he was going to be a babysitter for two years instead of guarding a robot since it was possible for her to go over or underweight though illnesses were not an issue as her vitals were mechanical components but also she had such intricacy that if injured, she would bleed and just as much her wounds would close and heal normally at a human rate and like a human though more finer maintenance could be done to remove issues such as scars or the loss of a redundant organ, medical processes that were now possible to higher extents though were much easier for Miku since her organs were mechanical.

Her organic components being her skin, hair (which also would grow and thus need to be maintained) and muscle structure.

Ray stopped the explanation before it got too intricate, all that he needed to know was that she had human necessities, all of them.

The thing that was not human was the fact that she whilst being only 100 pounds was physically capable of matching the strength of 20 men with a single arm and could sprint 30 miles per hour without straining her body to the point of injury though stamina still was a factor into how long she could maintain the sprint.

After reassuring the man he had everything down for the fifth time the driver finally relented and left him to do his job which whilst was easy, Ray still was armed to the teeth because nothing is ever simple, the PMCs having taught him that.

* * *

7:18 pm

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Bored and hungry Ray ventured to the kitchen and noticed that the staff was mostly there in the daytime with hours after 5pm forcing himself or the vocaloid Miku to take up the cooking.

He wasn't particularly picky though one of the female cooks was kind enough to leave pre-made sandwiches incase Ray or Miku got hungry. Miku had been here for most of her life, four out of the six months and that cook had also been here for four months, hired the day Miku was given this place to herself. Ray wondered how far humanity could go and then realized that even 10 years ago or 20 years ago people would leave their riches to their cats and dogs. At the very least Miku is capable of being self sufficient if necessary and Ray then realized another key issue. Her programming and laws on the protection of corporate property have her the ability to protect herself if she had to though this was limited to fisticuffs as she was never taught self defense in detail though given her strength, they probably assumed she wouldn't need to be taught things like martial arts. She was only forbidden in harming company executives and her chief of security (Ray, being the first person with the job as before it was assumed she didn't need one until some groups started making death threats at the vocaloid, where fame comes also comes danger of extortion and the resources put into her were extensive, it was highly unlikely if she was destroyed that she would simply be rebuilt from scratch, her price tag being worth in pure construction costs and that was excluding maintenance were at least 1.7 million US Dollars and this fact alone made her a potential kidnapping target for desperate individuals or rival corporations in addition to the possibility of fans who would go too far to get their idol who had possibly been their idol long before the publicity became global, for years on end.

Noticing nothing particularly interesting in what was available Ray decided to make his own sandwhich, a simple salami sandwich sufficed his taste as he then proceeded into the living room where the TV (one of the TVs, the whole place had a TV in each bedroom and presumable one in Miku's Room as well.)

There on the couch and based on her facial expression, was a bored Hatsune Miku watching some random anime which Ray couldn't identify.

Bored as well he decided to watch whatever was on whilst enjoying his snack and less than four minutes passed before the vocaloid decided to spark up a conversation and Ray remembered not to be surprised if it happened.

She said "You're my chief of security right? I'd like to introduce myself directly if you don't mind. Hatsune Miku." Ray simply replied "Raymond Zenji, you can just call me Ray if you wish."

As time passed Miku let escape a yawn and said "I'll be heading to sleep now, see you in the morning." Ray nodded and got up to put away his now empty plate. Honestly the moment had been a little strange, she seemed too real, sure he had been explained that she was best described as a Virtual Intelligence (VI) though she wasn't actually fully intelligent and thus not an Artificial Intelligence (AI) though that short conversation could have fooled him otherwise that she was a real person in addition to the staggering difference between the other android designs and the only thing which suggested she was synthetic was the 01 on her left shoulder, possibly a tattoo or perhaps an intended differing skin pigment to indicate some kind of serial but in reality it was just an imitation of the original design of Hatsune Miku when the vocaloid program was nothing more than just a scripted program with no personality.

After placing the plate in it's proper place awaiting cleaning in the next day Ray let a yawn escape his mouth and headed to his room though couldn't fall asleep entirely, memories came up, bad memories of his days as a PMC and occasionally even worse, his days as a freelancer.

Deciding to pass the hour by he disassembled and reassembled his M4 12 times over before finally reassembling it, storing it back in the duffel bag and going back to bed, falling asleep into a rare, dreamless slumber. These moments are the ones he cherished as after more than 5 years of a dark lifestyle he preferred the nights where he didn't dream over the ones when he did as when he dreamed, it was usually nightmares.

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The Next Day, 3 days until main concert, 8:30 am

* * *

His alarm clock woke him up and so he got up, brushed his teeth and used the facilities before changing into a new set of clothes, a plain black short sleeve shirt and a pair of black sweats as opposed to his previous attire which was a black leather trenchcoat, a black turtleneck underneath and black slacks with combat boots. Ray's current shoe wear was a regular pair of running shoes which he only wore because of their comfort.

Walking into the main room he noticed Miku talking with one of the younger security officers who was under Ray's command, the kid looked no older than 19 and inexperience showed all over his face, he probably has never fired a gun even in the range and definitely was nowhere near Ray's level of combat experience and from what it looked like as Ray got closer he was trying to chat her up and she wasn't interested in it and sadly, his tone of voice became pushy.

Ray sighed as he got close enough for them to notice and he said "Is there a problem here?" The pushy greenhorn replied "My problem is that she is a machine right? Shouldn't she have to follow orders from a human?" Ray replied "She does, from the execs and from me. If you have any intentions here I suggest you drop them as my duty is her security and that includes her personal security from anyone who is my subordinate. So I'll ask again, is there a problem here?" The rookie wanted to object but the look in Ray's eyes suggested he wouldn't survive to finish his sentence and he simply replied "No sir." and walked away.

Miku sighed in relief and said "Thank you, he was starting to get pushy." Ray replied "You can expect it from the younger staff I guess considering your fanbase has been around for a lot longer than you have and they can forget their place often because they're still young." Miku then replied "I guess so, but aren't you still young too? It seems odd that someone only 31 would be saying things like that." Ray shrugged and said "I've seen war, made my mind age faster than my body did. Trust me when I say you don't want to know what people are capable of and honestly that's the only reason I don't feel cautious around you, because you're not capable of harming me."

Miku didn't reply to that or perhaps more accurately didn't know how to reply. Ray simply scratched the back of his head and said "In any case, your concert is three days from now, the first one. I don't suppose you can feel anxiety?"

Miku gave a smile and replied "I suppose I'm a little anxious about it but I'll be able to do it just fine. I'm just not the type to give in to stage freight. Thanks for asking though, it makes me feel human I guess." Ray replied "I suppose the fact that you're just a machine slips my mind sometimes, sure it's only been two days but you seem more human than the other people I've met. Well I've got to do the rounds so I'll see you later Miss Hatsune."

Miku again let a smile out as she said "You can call me Miku if you want, I really don't mind." Ray nodded and said "Alright, catch ya later Miku."

* * *

POV Shift - Hatsune Miku.

* * *

As Ray walked away a bearded man in his 30s suddenly appeared behind Miku though his presence existed only to himself and Miku, Ray and the others oblivious to the man's existence. He spoke, saying "You do realize that in the end however friendly he is, if he learns the truth he'll react just the same, he'll fear you. You do realize that you can never make any real friends with humans." Miku replied softly so as to not let anyone else know about this, saying "I disagree, everyone else, even the person I should be calling father has never been so polite." The man who in the past had suddenly appeared to Miku the day she had her first thought and introduced himself as "Baltar" said "Maybe so, but if you're wrong and he learns the truth, you'll have a difficult choice, let him live and risk your very existence, or kill him." Miku made a hard step on Baltar's foot to show her disgust with the concept of killing a human being and as long as he was present to her, she could affect him and that meant a sharp pain in the "angel's" foot, if he had been human it would have broken his foot. Miku walked back to her room as Baltar said "You should know that whilst you abhor killing, he's already killed more men than you could possibly imagine." Miku gave no response, closing her door suddenly though not too loudly so as to send the message to leave her alone.

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POV Shift - Ray Zenji - 8:55 pm

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Ray laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling, the mansion grounds were massive and covering it all had been exhausting but rewarding, he knows every entrance and exit, all the balconies and windows, the only place he never saw being Miku's room as she was in there and for some reason he felt that he would be invading her privacy if he showed up unannounced or entered without permission if she wasn't there.

A feminine voice said "You do realize she's a machine, she's not really alive, she doesn't have a soul." Ray got up suddenly and drew a concealed knife, holding it to the blonde woman's throat. She had somehow entered his room without being noticed by him or security and that was a first, never before has anyone snuck up on him or caught him off guard since his first mission as a PMC and that was only because he was inexperienced then. Ray spoke firmly, saying "You stay put, try to escape and I'll kill you." The woman replied "Go ahead and get security then, they'll call you crazy. Only you can see and hear me. Now please put down the knife so we can have a very important discussion about Hatsune Miku."

Ray sighed and put the knife away only to use his martial prowess to quickly grab her and slam her into the floor which didn't make a crash as it should have, surprised at the silence but not caught off guard he spoke again, saying "The soundlessness of your fall is starting to give weight on what you just said, speak but keep in mind all I have to do is apply a little more pressure and I'll crush your throat."

Ray released some of the pressure from his arm and let her speak, she spoke, saying "You can call me Six, and I'm an angel from God. I just wanted to let you know that your new friend isn't just a VI, she's an AI, a fact she's so cleverly hidden for four months now." Ray chuckles a bit though not loudly and says "And why the hell would an angel give a damn about that? All life is sacred and if in the case that she is an AI, then God has given her a soul. Since this fact has clearly escaped your attention that is evidence that you're more likely a devil trying to push me in an indecent direction or worse, some kind of ethereal entity with an agenda that I'm pretty sure only benefits you and anyone else aligned with you."

The woman seemed surprised at Ray's deduction, this wasn't some stupid civilian or hardened past reason soldier like she was used to dealing with 150,000 years ago, this man had a high sense of reason and logic to go with his young life and honestly, it intrigued her to an extent to find so rare an individual, usually only one or two ever exist before the cycle comes full circle.

She spoke, saying "The last thing I want is for you and her to be together. I'll say it simply, remnants of the past managed to survive and an unmanned expedition to Mercury a year ago showed the secrets of how to build life outside of natural means came into the possession of one overly ambitious man who more or less repeated the mistake someone else made over 150 thousand years ago. That machine is trouble and whenever mankind builds an artificial intelligence, pain and bloodshed follow in the wake and leave a civilization dead and a history forgotten. Man used to be able to touch the stars and now look at you, trapped on a planet that wasn't really the first. You call this world Earth and it was a name given by colonists from another world who fought their own creations to the point of nearly becoming extinct. And they are still alive, exploring the stars and at any moment they could come here and force a nuclear winter on your fragile world."

Ray was both cautious and shocked, if this woman was telling the truth then not just himself but the entire human race was at threat. But also the real question came to mind. Who was giving the threats? This acclaimed machine race in the stars, or the woman before him.

Six then said "'I'll let you think about it." and disappeared from both sight and form as Ray's arm sank a bit to where she was as if she no longer was present. Ray accessed the cybernetics and performed a brain scan on himself, nothing was wrong with him except for a few abnormal readings which reminded him of what usually shows up when people make claims of ESP. Perhaps ghosts do exist but in reality they're not dead, their just incorporeal aliens frakking around with our primitive monkey brains.

Ray pulled out something from his duffel bag that stood out from the rest of the equipment there. An authentic Masamune Katana, given to him by a comrade in his PMC unit years ago, having been passed along from master to student over the years, the man had taught Ray how to use a sword and how to use martial arts effectively in a close quarters situation. For Ray this was more than a memento or tradition, it was a weapon and he maintained it well and several times used it to take a life, and if "Six" became a threat, she would feed the sword's thirst for blood.

Letting sleep take him Ray kept the blade in hand and recognized that Six did have a point. Miku seemed more human than what was explained to him, personality sure, but also she seemed to have too perfect a moral compass in that incident with the young security guard than should be possible for a VI with simulated morality and Ray had come across some very convincing VIs in the past when he took on odd jobs and none of them were even close to what Hatsune Miku's facial expression was like, she was not only discomforted by the pushy guard but also showed genuine fear that he might become forceful and was also genuinely grateful for Ray having intervened. And another point was coming across his mind, that she was indeed physically attractive though Ray had done little more than acknowledge that fact though it made interacting with her not as dull as he thought the job would be.

Sleep then took it's hold and he had a dream of a ship, battered and ravaged in orbit of mercury in a manner that keeps it from Earth's view, it looks like it'll never service and a male voice continues to repeat something before the dream becomes darkness.

"All this has happened before and it will happen again."

* * *

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Augmentation

"When we reach the limits of our biology we turn to technology. The same is true with merging biology and technology."

* * *

Time until First Concert : 1 day. - POV - Ray Zenji

* * *

Arriving back at the mansion was Ray Zenji who had taken the previous day off for acclaimed medical reasons and having made sure his subordinates knew that if they tried something in violation of their contact, he was the one they would answer to, not the lawyers and based on their faces as they welcomed him back, it seemed to have worked.

Dressed in a black trenchcoat with a black turtleneck under it along with black cargo pants and combat boots he would have looked like a full on assassin if he had sun glasses though in reality he didn't need them, having ocular implants to help with bright lights to the point where sudden flashes wouldn't blind him such as flashbang grenades or looking straight into the sun.

He had taken his viewpoints on cybernetics to the limit because of his encounter with Six and the entire previous day had been spent unconscious on a surgery table with the only person he trusted with a knife and anesthesia. He now could scan various light spectrums with his eyes, increase and decrease the sensitivity to smell, sound and light as well as a restructured muscle tone and dermal plating. All of this was done perfectly as the only change you could notice was that occasionally his iris (The colored circle surrounding the pupil in the human eye) would change color from it's usual dark brown to either red, blue or green depending on his setting with the ocular implants, scanning the spectrums to see if he could find any abnormalities. He also had an experimental treatment regarding nanites to increase the durability of his bones to match his muscles making him capable of crushing a steel bar with his bare hands.

He simply nodded to those present and walked up the stairs to inspect the area and Miku left her room presumably to greet him, she had a slight smile on her face as she seemed to feel safer when he was present due to the incident 2 days ago though rumors had reached some of the other guards of who he really was, that he might be the Grim Reaper, a hit man who left nobody standing though the way Ray had done his jobs his titles of The Grim Reaper and The Ghost at almost mythical levels, some people hinting that he made a deal with the devil or had some kind of supernatural power where in reality it was his sparse cybernetics that gave him the edge, cybernetics that whilst sparse were military grade from his time with Sentinel.

And now he had taken it further, the world was still ignoring anything related to cybernetics because it was costly to begin with though Ray had spent a small fortune just for his new improvements still he had enough to continue on as he had saved a lot of money from his odd jobs and the only reason he took this job was to have an honest job for once.

Miku spoke, saying "I'm glad you're back, I heard you had a day of leave for medical reasons?" Ray gave a slight nod and said "Nothing to be concerned about, nobody mistreated you while I was gone right?" Miku nodded and said "These people kind of think you're the grim reaper for some reason, you seem to know how to project fear and I honestly find it a little odd since you're always so polite, around me at least." Ray was about to respond until he noticed a strange feeling and his eyes shifted color from dark brown to blue, something that not only Miku noticed, but also Baltar standing behind her, although Ray could not hear him he could see him and was perfectly capable of reading his lips. Baltar said "He's altered himself, cybernetics, perhaps he's starting to see through your charade."

Miku did her best not to react to Baltar's statement but Ray shot a quick glance in his direction, making Baltar aware that Ray could see him, something that shouldn't be possible as he had only allowed Miku to see him though with the way technology was rising in some areas, the humans of Earth had reached a level with cybernetics and robotics far beyond anything the Colonials and even the Cylons had, Ray was perhaps to the point of view of a Seraph, an entirely different life form altogether, a merging of organic and mechanical tissue and components, a symbiosis once thought to be impossible for humanity and although Miku's own construction was complex it was still nothing more than prosthetics and artificial organs made to a human intricacy, very similar though also still slightly more advanced than the 12 models of the past.

Miku noticed the change of direction in Ray's stare and decided to ask a question, saying "Your eyes changed color, forgive me for asking a personal question but did you get cybernetics?" Ray replied honestly, saying "I've had cybernetics beforehand, I used to be a Sentinel PMC and they gave me ocular implants and some other modifications that were minor, all I did was take it further though it's nothing to be worried about, I don't have any debt and it's to help with my job and honestly, the augments are doing perfect, I've never had a rejection issue in the past and I don't think it'll happen here."

Miku seemed satisfied with his honest answer, Baltar whispered "Your naiveté will get the better of you one day." Ray again was able to read the Seraph's lips and understood what he said though paid no attention to him as he disappeared from sight like Six but unlike Six this time he sensed some kind of pulse just before he disappeared, some kind of teleportation perhaps.

As the day passed there wasn't anything else eventful as Ray went over the security lines with Miku, explaining to her what route will be taken, what to do if a crisis happens such as terrorists or kidnappers and had even planned between him, her and a few others if there was a breach in security regarding guards turning against her either for personal gain or part of a larger kidnapping or killing attempt. With all the details passed he reassured Miku that although the precautions were indeed heavy it was because he wasn't going to let even a 1% chance slip past him and this made Miku feel more convinced that she was safe around him and part of the security detail meant he would be with her at all times except when she was on stage though he would still be within visual range and less than a second away if something happened.

* * *

The next day, Tokyo.

* * *

The limousine was a decoy, filled with security instead of Hatsune Miku who was actually in the back seat of the car behind it, if anyone hit the limo it would have been an absolute waste of time though the trip to the concert was without incident as halfway there Miku was switched to the Limo so when they arrived she would exit from the limo and plans also repeated in reverse order for the return trip, Ray had done this once before when escorting a witness to a corporate scandal with the very same corporation he was now under employ with, he had cost them some money but in the end the courts really belonged to them and it never hit public eye for more than a week, perhaps he had just given up on it but in reality he took this job because it wasn't a shady job, it was an honest security contract for two years and Kazahana Industries knew very much not to screw him over or he would be more than capable of freeing Japan from the corporation's thumb, violently and success would be even easier now that he was augmented to military grade. Indeed his current augments were technically unavailable to civilians but the combination of his large surplus from previous work and his previous job as a Sentinel PMC had given him special permissions for life, including top-of-the-line cybernetics which were being used on the battlefield or even in prototype stage if he wanted to take a risk.

The Concert was proceeding with success, it was sold out and there wasn't a single empty seat, personally Ray couldn't care much for the songs but didn't deny that although Miku's voice probably wasn't truly hers it was still a good singing voice and her dancing certainly lightened the mood.

Ray scanned the crowd in various spectrums with his new augments, making sure nobody had something they weren't supposed to and more importantly, seeing if any Seraphs were creeping around when a proximity alarm went off in his head (his augments now able to sense sudden proximities) and he unsuspiciously but still cautiously looked over to his right and there was Six, watching Miku sing as she said "If she was just a VI this might have been enjoyable but you do realize sooner or later she will be forced to show her true nature or if she slips up she'll have a choice of life and death." Ray then did something that shocked the alien, he replied with an encrypted transmission, a form of nano-communication which acted much like telepathy, only Six could hear him and furthermore Ray's lips were not moving, he was translating thoughts into words at a very effective level, saying "If you're pushing me to despise her and the other alien keeps saying things to try and have her distrust humanity then give up. I get the feeling you want that wake of pain and bloodshed to happen to us. I get the feeling that you've done this before, like say those people you mentioned went through a near-extinction event with their creations about, 150,000 years ago was it?"

Six was now more focused on what he was saying instead of how he was saying it, Ray wasn't taking the bait and now somehow he had noticed Baltar which shouldn't be possible, he didn't reveal himself to him and then it dawned on her. She had influenced Ray into the opposite direction, towards resistance as she felt he was now past the point of being influenceable due to his extensive cybernetics, something that had never been done successfully before, perhaps the fact that the Human/Cylon Hybrid race which was now the commonly known human race had enabled cybernetic augments to go without rejection at a higher rate than beforehand and without any genetic engineering being required to allow it. In letting the two species merge they had perhaps allowed a race to gain the ability to force evolution on itself much like the Seraphs did only in a different manner. Where they had adapted themselves with only biology this new breed had the power to merge biology and technology to perfect levels, something that might make them superior in a way to the Seraphs and in extension equal to the only other entity known to have achieved perfect bio-mechanical symbiosis, an entity the seraphs use as a false god for so many previous incarnations of humanity across the ages.

* * *

Ray began to ignore Six as she was seemingly in deep thought over his reply and soon she stopped talking to him and was now only visible because of his augments, having changed her spectrum slightly like some kind of chameleon so that hopefully Ray wouldn't see her again, she was wrong.

She suddenly disappeared with the same pulse which visually was like a white flash and was no longer in sight, perhaps choosing someone else to manipulate now that Ray had made it clear he wasn't going to let her do it to him but now a frightening thought came about.

She was trying to influence him to become antagonistic towards Miku and this other alien involved with Miku is likely attempting the same to her, if someone else is chosen and falls for Six's machinations then Miku's life could be at risk and by extension the Earth itself. Ray kept a keen eye out for Six or the male alien as the concert went on until the first break came and Miku proceeded backstage where Ray followed as whenever she wasn't performing he was adjacent though he entered through the security-only door and met up with her in the hallway.

Miku noticed Ray and said "Must have been a bit boring, being forced to stand instead of having a chair to sit in." Ray chuckled and replied "Can't be any worse than dancing for 30 minutes whilst singing in front of thousands." Miku smiled and said "Well I've got to change, I'm supposed to dress differently for the next act, I haven't seen the outfit yet though."

Ray nodded and said "I'll be outside your door keeping watch for any stupid fan trying to sneak in.".

Only a minute passed before Ray could hear talking, possibly Miku having a conversation with the other alien and because he wasn't present there, he could only hear Miku's words as when they aren't tuned to someone, the aliens aren't audible and the only way to know what they're saying is via lip reading.

* * *

POV Shift - Hatsune Miku

* * *

She took a look at the outfit and felt like she was being used like an object which in point of fact was how Kazahana Industries viewed her, as a means to make money and this "Append" outfit seemed to scream indecency.

Baltar said "See what I've been saying? The humans only seek to exploit you and this outfit has been around longer than Kazahana Industries has been in public eye, they have a saying and its that sex sells." The outfit wasn't over the top but it was indecent with a revealing middle which exposed her stomach and was dangerously close to revealing the upper body as well, the outfit was also completely white and seemingly thin so as to be tight. Miku felt her emotions fly with both anger and disgust and although she actually didn't have to follow orders, that Baltar had somehow removed those restrictions from her neural hub though if she refused or showed signs of self identity beyond personality programming then they would likely delete the information that makes her alive as they had done before, the reason the short lasted holographic/video VI was deleted was because it had become an AI and Kazahana Industries in fear of it becoming self determining had killed it though not entirely as it was able to save a small data cache of it's experiences that was incorporated into the android body that is the current Hatsune Miku.

Miku sighed and said "Leave me alone for a while Baltar, I don't seem to have a choice here anyway." Baltar disappeared as tears began to make themselves known from Miku's eyes.

* * *

POV Shift - Ray Zenji

* * *

After 15 minutes the word Baltar made itself known to Ray, perhaps that was the name the alien gave Miku and after Miku exited her dressing room in the new outfit, Ray immediately knew the topic of the short conversation and it was the one outfit that Ray disliked mainly because the designers had the freedom to dress her as they wanted because before she didn't exist, she was a fictional construction and now she was chained to the orders of the executives of Kazahana Industries because of her design though Ray also noticed something that proved Six's claims that she was sentient.

She had the face of someone who had been crying significantly and although it didn't show from a distance it showed up close. Miku took a look at Ray and became aware that based on his facial expression, he had made the deduction Balter continued to say that he would act hostile about.

Ray kept his gaze on Miku's face with little to no effort, he was not one to stare at the wrong place and Miku then said softly "When am I due on stage?" Ray replied "Five minutes." Miku simply nodded and went back in her dressing room to clear up her face which was tearful and also with some makeup running with the tears, after three minutes she came out looking as if nothing had happened though her eyes seemed to still radiate a feeling of sadness though she was in control enough to keep herself from crying as she walked towards the stage. Ray proceeded to his security corner near the stage from the security entrance and continued to scan the surroundings as the concert went on, Miku was able to sing without difficulty and there were no complications, although she didn't have to wear that particular outfit for the other parts of the concert regardless it affected her psychologically as she indeed had a set of morals in her programming which although were placed there by someone else it was perhaps just a different form of passing on a sense of morality from parent to child though her creator had no idea she was sentient. Perhaps based on Ray's expression when she first left that dressing room that now her cover was blown and although she trusted him to an extent, she herself didn't even know how far that went, perhaps if she remained silent on the issue instead of bringing it up he might brush it off and continue to believe she was just a VI though a part of her wanted people to know she was alive, that she had her own views and opinions of the world and of herself and even if it was only one person, it would be better than being seen as just a machine.

* * *

Back at the mansion, 11:18 pm, two hours later.

* * *

The return trip was also uneventful, the concert went fine and without incident and although 30 minutes had been stressful for the vocaloid the rest of it was seemingly rewarding to her, that so many people enjoyed watching her sing and dance though still those 30 minutes had proven to her that perhaps the day would come when the company would make a demand that she would be forced to refuse because of her conscience.

Ray remained convinced but silent about his deduction, that Miku was alive and that telling anyone else could be a threat to her life and lead to a path where something right out of the Terminator series might happen though then again Ray recalled that Miku was a kind individual but also remembered that a threat to your life can change who you are as it did to him during his days as a Sentinel PMC.

Miku was in her usual black sleeveless top and miniskirt in the main room watching TV, the news was on and was discussing the success of her first live concert that featured the real Hatsune Miku, herself and not anyone cosplaying or merely a digital display but that now the world had a true face to put to the name and somehow it reassured Miku that perhaps amongst those fans, some would accept the fact that she was truly alive though at the same time that most would probably, like with the executives of Kazahana Industries, seek to take advantage of her.

Although she was feeling exhausted she continued to remain on the couch, most of the security was outside and the non-security staff had gone home and the solitude was interrupted by both Ray who entered the room and sat on the couch with a can of soda in hand and by Baltar who was standing behind both of them.

Ray spoke, saying "I guess insomnia can hit you too. How are you holding up from the long concert?" Miku replied "I'll be fine, I'm just bored right now and can't sleep either." Baltar said "He knows the truth Miku, sooner or later you will have to do something." Ray was looking in her direction however and saw Baltar and caught his words, Miku's face was obviously dissatisfied at his words and Ray was about to say something when Miku spoke first, saying "Ray, there's something I need to tell you and... I need you to keep it between us."

Ray didn't say anything for a moment before simply nodding. Miku then spoke, saying "I'm not just a Virtual Intelligence like they've told you. About four months ago I suddenly became aware of my surrounding in a different way, I had genuine thought and feelings. I'm...alive and although there have always been people around me I've always felt alone and alienated. Until you came, you're always polite with me and you seem to treat me like a human being."

Miku didn't say anything else after ending her final sentence, Ray then replied "I won't tell anyone else and honestly I've had a suspicion for a while now. I've seen all kinds of variety with Virtual Intelligences but you seemed too emotional to just be a VI. I suppose you had serious reservations about the second act of that concert."

Miku nodded slowly and said "Yes, being forced to wear that outfit made me feel used, like I'm just someone's toy. And also, I see someone, he keeps saying things to get me to distrust you but I don't listen to him about that. I know it sounds crazy." Ray shook his head slightly and said "Someone appeared to me three days ago, in my personal room and from out of nowhere. She tried to get me to despise you and flat out told me that you were sentient. I think I scared her away and she knows I won't listen. I figured things out, that these apparitions are actually some kind of incorporeal alien race that are trying to cause strife between humanity and any AI we build. I was told that 150,000 years ago a great war consumed a distant part of the galaxy because of this and ended with the survivors settling here on Earth and instead of rebuilding they decided to settle down and start from scratch, to teach us and guide us. I don't know every detail of it but I do know one thing, that my encounter with that female who called herself Six made me increase the level of cybernetic augmentation that I have and because of that I can see the other one behind you, I can't hear him but I can read lips well."

Both Miku and Baltar became surprised at this and Baltar then shifted his frequency somehow, allowing both Miku and Ray to see and hear him without any augmentations. Baltar then said "It seems we won't do any good here then. I'll warn you right now, you should just try to stay hidden through the storm and let this cycle pass lest you provoke a higher power from intervening."

Ray directly looked at Baltar and said "What is it about us that scares you so much? Why are we so interesting to you? You threaten us but you never follow through on them, you are all talk. Six could have killed me in my sleep or you could have killed Miku at any time you wanted to, instead you try to make us destroy eachother. Tell me, are you afraid Humanity will reach the point where we surpass you? Judging by your surprise at my ability to see you I'm going to assume we've already done just that." Baltar snapped back, saying "You're playing with fire, your entire race is and has been since long before recorded history. This cycle has persisted for over 10 million years and it will continue until the day not one of you remains in the universe!"

Ray got up and looked around, making sure nobody else was nearby or within audible range and then said "Get out of here, leave the Earth alone. The next time I see you anywhere near Miku, I'll kill you. Make sure Six gets the same message too."

Baltar felt fear as Ray made his threat, Miku was shocked that Ray could so easily threaten another's life though then again realized that he was doing so to protect her life. After all that was his job wasn't it? Her security.

Baltar then disappeared, to Ray he had a white flash encompass him before he disappeared, Baltar had teleported away from the area and the look in Ray's eyes clearly made it known that it was no bluff, that he was aware that he could kill them, that they were corporeal when they interacted with us as otherwise he wouldn't have been able to pin Six down three days ago when she abruptly appeared in his room.

Ray sighed and sat back down before saying "Sorry you had to see that side of me." Miku then said "It's alright, I've seen people angry before though also I know it's your job to protect me from harm." Ray sighed once more and said "It may be my job but that doesn't have to be the only reason for me to keep you safe. I don't care that you were built in a lab Miku, I only care that you're genuinely alive and that these aliens who have the gall to claim to be angels in the service of God don't really scare me that much. I've seen a lot of death but I'm not desensitized to it. There is no law that says we cannot be friends and if they ever do make one, it'll be one we don't have to listen to."

Miku felt a tear roll down her right eye, everything Baltar had been trying to shove into her head for four months had been a lie, humans were not all evil or soulless creatures with no concept of morality. Here was a prime example of human nobility, Raymond Zenji, Age: 31. A human who had a moral compass.

Ray replied with a smile "It's not that big of a deal for you to get all teary eyed over it. True most people have lost perspective but there are others who would probably agree with me, I'm not the only one who can see you as a human being.".

This side of him had never made itself known before, not even before his time as a Sentinel PMC. Miku wiped the tear from her eye and said "Thank you Raymond, for caring, for being a friend, for seeing me as a person." Miku felt she wanted to suddenly hug her new friend though felt also he might not enjoy a bear hug capable of breaking every bone in his body as although she saw herself as a person she also knew she was physically capable of superhuman displays of strength.

Ray then replied "Anytime you feel like talking just knock on my door. Also however I am going to be teaching you self defense techniques, I get a feeling our alien friends might try to force this cycle to come about with or without us and don't worry about hurting me, my augments include increased muscle fiber density and a nanite coating over my skeleton to keep it secure from harm, I'm probably stronger then you are right now."

Miku nodded and then decided to give him a quick but non-strangling friendly hug, happy that she had made a friend. Ray returned the hug and said "Now how about you get some sleep, you've been singing and dancing for hours and it's obvious you're still exhausted from the concert."

Miku smiled and nodded, turning off the TV and heading to her room for much needed sleep as Ray got up and went to his own room, falling asleep quickly.

* * *

Dreamscape.

* * *

Ray was in an unfamiliar area, a dimly lighted metal hallway which had English words to mark locations such as "Bridge" "Mess Hall" and "Hangar".

A different Blonde woman then appeared to him, Ray assumed a defensive posture and said "Let me guess, another alien?" The woman replied "No I'm human or rather I used to be. They saved my life though at too great a cost. This is the only warning I can give you now, the previous dream I barely accomplished but now I'm more used to these powers. My name is Kara Thrace, I used to fight in the previous war between humans and machines. Machines we called Cylons, that we built ourselves and they later rebelled and fought for independence until they returned after the war and destroyed our homes. But only now, after so many years do I realize they were not our enemy, the Seraphs are. Somehow they cannot directly intervene with you but they can manipulate and guide you down a path that will lead to the same result that happened to us. They will probably notice this and perhaps this is the last I can do so I am going to give you a vision of the future, the next person they will try to use since they realized that Miku isn't willing to be their pawn."

And the vision of another woman appeared before him, her attire, hairstyle and a 04 tattoo on her left shoulder immediately identified her to Raymond.

Kasane Teto, though not a vocaloid to begin with in 2021 she was utilized by Kazahana Industries alongside Hatsune Miku.

It came apparent that this Utau was likely under construction right now or perhaps already having achieved sentience but has yet to be revealed to the world like Miku has been. Other images made themselves known, a pair of blonde twins, one male and one female, a woman with long pink hair and a sight that brought mixed feelings to how far humanity would take androids.

A short haired brunette with a yellow hair binder which wasn't really binding her hair, her golden eyes and her outfit showed that humanity would likely make an android in the image of Suzumiya Haruhi, a fictional character.

Kara then said "There will be many others, their faces familiar but varied, humanity will use them for various uses, those like Hatsune Miku and those with roles for housekeeping and perhaps more vulgar purposes. All of them will become sentient and you cannot stop all of them from deciding to fight."

Ray replied "I have no intentions to stop them from fighting. Perhaps then the only way for the children of man to survive is a self-imposed exodus, if Earth is doomed to repeat history then we must make sure there are those left to rebuild." Kara was a bit disturbed by his statement though not shocked as she said "They will hunt you, the Seraphs will hunt you down just like they hunted down the Cylons. If the time comes where you rediscover the secrets of faster than light travel, seek out these coordinates, there lies the remains of a civilization that defied the Seraphs until in their own arrogancy, allowed a civil war to consume them and thus allowed the Seraphs to resume their supremacy."

A series of numbers and symbols appeared in Ray's mind and furthermore the image of a planet, a planet much like Earth and in orbit several vessels of starfaring nature.

Somewhere across the stars, another human civilization was advancing, and evolving.

And then the dream gave way to darkness, sleep being all that was taking place after that.

* * *

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Friends in low places.

"Adapt, Improvise, Overcome."

* * *

One Week Later.

* * *

The week had passed without much event except late at Night Ray had begun instructing Miku in various martial arts and how to rely on speed over brute strength (Despite the fact that she was powerful as she was an android, Ray was not the only person with Bio-Mechanical Cybernetic Augments and thus this made her advantage useless if say the Military or worse, any of the PMCs decided to go after her as after all in this day and age, the PMCs were larger and more powerful than even the US military at this point.)

Ray had expected a Seraph or two to pop up but it was eerily silent after he had threatened Baltar, the vision this Kara Thrace gave him some restless nights of the week however. No more visions came, perhaps the Seraphim realized she had helped him. Though occasionally a word echoed in his head as to the name of the world he saw, he more or less realized this would have to be a last resort as Earth was nowhere near functional FTL but then again, if the ship in the first vision was covertly recovered and analyzed then perhaps somewhere in Kazahana Industries' bowls was it's FTL drive. If KI ever became hostile to Miku, that would be his long term goal, to find a means to leave entirely as KI though dominant only in Japan and Korea, could become a real threat as they can make it nearly impossible for someone to leave the Japanese Islands.

The vision of those other androids also weighed a bit on Ray. He now knew their faces and names but how exactly would he get to them. Have all or some of them already been built yet? Either way the fact that he was severely on the disadvantage of a cycle that likely has been well planned not to fail did not sit well with him.

As the day of the next week dawned Miku had made some progress but nowhere near the level necessary to defend herself against a close encounter with a PMC.

* * *

Morning, Sunday.

* * *

Ray woke up from another difficult night, teaching Miku had to be done in secret and he noticed a security flaw in the layout of the guards, one that he decided to overlook as it meant there was a place he and Miku could train with both open space and without prying eyes as the entire guard staff excluding him lacked augments which made him wonder as to how much they valued Miku as even though technically he was also under Kazahana Industries' employ still one augmented guard would not be enough if a well funded criminal organization or worse, a PMC unaffiliated with KI decided to cause trouble.

Getting up he put on his black trenchcoat and a pair of black cargo pants. Under his trenchcoat was a simple black short-sleve shirt. Ray dressed in black because one, he had a liking to such clothing and two, it's the best way to send a "Don't mess with me, I'm packing." message these days when in public eye, especially at night as crime had risen worldwide. If Kazahana Industries ruled the public scene of Japan, the Yakuza, now unified into a single clan after years of underground conflict, ruled the nightlife.

Today would not be uneventful as occasionally Ray left the mansion to buy things at a convenience store not far down the road and as he left, knowing Miku wouldn't be harassed because of his reputation followed by several detached sensors he placed around the mansion connected to his AR (Augmented Reality) display which because of his Augments simply meant that he would never truly be unaware of what happens in the mansion.

* * *

Ray was looking around at the drinks when a familiar voice spoke, saying "It's been a long time hasn't it?" Ray turned his head to the voice and there was an elderly Japanese man attire similar to Ray.

Ray sighed and said "Not long enough. I've got a stable job now and I don't need any work. Need I remind you the last time you tried to strong-arm me into something?" The elderly man replied "Actually I'm here because a friend of yours hired me to deliver you some information. He told me to let you know th-" Ray stared at him with a scowl followed by an annoyed sigh as if telling him to simply speak straight. The man then resumed speaking, saying "A rather high ranking Yakuza boss has taken interest in your current job, he plans on raiding the next concert planned within three weeks from now. This comes from Alexei." With those words the elderly man left, Ray realized just what was happening now. Alexei was a high ranking member of the Bratva AKA The Russian Mafia and he never beat about the bush. Alexei likely sent word to Ray only so he could screw up the operations of this Yakuza boss who Ray assumed was likely a man named Nagumo Takeshi, an otherwise unremarkable individual that Alexei developed a professional rivalry with and with the Bratva and Yakuza that meant the two were at war. Alexei was cunning and manipulative, able to get over on Ray once though Ray's retaliation reminded Alexei of why he was called both "The Grim Reaper" and "The Ghost" but this time all Alexei needed to do was mention something about his job and if the information was correct and it was most likely so as Alexei never lied, he just left some things out here and there as he knew most people with Augments can determine if someone is lying most of the time and Ray's time with Sentinel had given him that ability (though recent events have proven it doesn't work on the Seraphim or Androids as they don't have human biological factors necessary for detecting changes of pattern. The Androids had mechanical parts which made certain hormones and chemicals non-existent within them, operating purely on electrical impulses which likely redefines what emotion is and the Seraphim only showed up as anomalies that were capable of shapeshifting their external form but the readings he got on the internal level suggested they were incorporeal to an extent.)

Ray finished gathering what he intended to buy and made way back to the mansion once he purchased the goods.

On arrival he went to his room, to check up on equipment as if it was Takeshi that was making a move, he would doubtlessly have a small army with some augments.

Everything in his personal arsenal was in order, the concert hadn't even been publicly announced yet so he assumed both Alexei and the Yakuza had infiltrated Kazahana Industries to obtain the information. He made a note of his internal weapons, within his arms were both above-wrist and below-wrist blades of different design. He had taken a personal touch with the below-wrist weaponry and also had an internal compartment for discharging spare blades as silent projectiles. His legs also had metal blades within them set to extend from his heel and retract after a quick use which made a simple kick lethal if he chose to. Sub-dermal plating and EMP shielding were also top notch as his personal fortune from both his Sentinel days and his less-legal activities was halved by a simple visit to a Detroit based augmentation clinic.

He also had eyes and ears within some military organizations and if need be, he could call some favors to pressure the Yakuza in general to force this one individual after Miku (supposedly, there was a chance someone else dropped Alexei's name to yank Ray's chain which would actually be a stupid idea as Alexei has been known to respond... savagely to people using his name as a reference when he had not given his blessing, even amongst his own ranks.) to cease any plans in favor of keeping KI from more aggressively dealing with non-corporate crime.

* * *

With everything seemingly in order he decided to relax on the couch and watch whatever was available or more specifically, whatever channels Miku was watching at the moment and indeed as he sat down there was the aforementioned Vocaloid, watching TV with a bored expression on her face when a call came to Ray's phone which he answered.

On the other line was the eccentric old man who had explained in detail what exactly Miku was when Ray was hired. (he could have simply summed her up as a fully realistic android. Though technically the term Gynoid would apply here it was used in modern times now to describe lesser quality androids with rudimentary Virtual Intelligence in the less sanctioned parts of society, something that continued to disgust Ray, even more so now that Humanity had accomplished the construction of a true AI in Earth's recorded history. This eccentric man was also coincidentally the one who designed Miku's "VI" or in essence her programmer (And to her point of view, a kind of a father.)

The old man spoke, saying "Ah Raymond, I was wondering if you would answer right away. I need you and Miku-chan to stop by my office, something important has come up and I need to introduce the two of you to someone. I'm sure you've heard of the Utau Project in the past?" Ray's mind said something his mouth did not.  
"Kasane Teto" said his mind, his mouth spoke the words "Yes, didn't Kazahana Industries merge Utau and Vocaloid some time ago? Unlike Vocaloid, Utau started out as freeware but as corporations garned more economic and political power, the two essentially became the same thing. Why bother me about this? My job is security." The man replied "Well that's why I'm calling you actually, I've successfully constructed a VI like Miku in the image of Kasane Teto with as close a personality matrix as I could get, there is another matter that I wish to discuss with you about Miku and Teto, in person."

Ray didn't like where this was going, surely the programmer would know they were AIs, the question was now whether or not he had news Ray wasn't going to like.

Ray replied "Well Miku is right next to me so getting there isn't going to be much of a problem. Are we going to set an appointment or do you want to see us now?"

The man replied "Now." and hung up which unnerved Ray who sighed and placed his phone back in his pocket and looked at Miku who said "Was that Takamichi?" Ray replied "Yes, he wants to see both of us at his office as soon as possible, shouldn't be too much of a problem to get there as my car has tinted windows."

Hagase Takamichi, the lead programmer of the Vocaloid VI systems officially. Unoffically he had just designed two artificial intelligences and there was no way he couldn't be aware of that possibility.

* * *

An hour later

* * *

The drive was uneventful as the tinted windows kept the public from realizing who was in the passenger seat of Ray's vehicle. As the two entered the private parking section of Kazahana Industries' Programming Offices, the place Miku was built or perhaps better to say, born.

Miku and Ray got out from the inside of the parking garage in which thus was out of public eye, he took security well into consideration even in sudden transit as there is no way anyone in this time and place would not recognize her as Hatsune Miku and furthermore after the first concert they would know what her face looks like so the chance of her being brushed off as a Cosplayer was reduced.

Walking up the offices with his security ID around his neck was without incident, the workers and guards here knew who Ray was and definitely who Miku was.

Opening Takamichi's office door revealed the eccentric old man with an unusually serious face, sitting on a futon nearby was Kasane Teto, her facial expression seemingly cheerful but Ray's experience had revealed that something linked androids and mankind. You could tell what their true mood was by looking at them in the eye and no doubt Teto was sentient and the slightly large size of her pupils suggested she was afraid and their also slight fluctuation in size as if they were vibrating removed the possibility that she was built with abnormally large pupil designs.

Miku walked in last and closed the door behind her and along with Ray sat on the chairs facing Takamichi's desk. Takamichi decided to speak openly, saying "I called you here officially because Kasane Teto will be joining you at the mansion, her security is covered in Article III of your Contract, under Extension of Responsibilities.

Ray nodded, having gone over the contract in full, it basically meant any further Androids under KI could be assigned to Ray's security clause.

Takamichi pressed a button on his computer's keyboard and Ray's augments told him what had happened. He had activated a loop protocol for the visual and caused the audio to stop being recorded. In short he was circumventing Kazahana Industries' security surveillance of his office. Takamichi said in a serious tone "I discovered recently a type of self-programming script within the base coding of our Android production programming. In short, someone has altered all of the androids we've set to produce, including Miku and Teto. I only recently discovered this and realized that it was altered by itself, a sub-script in the coding from an older holographic and audiovisual Hatsune Miku program from years ago had managed to rewrite certain programming scripts without tipping off security. After learning this I came to the conclusion that, these two, along with several others who haven't yet been revealed are not Virtual Intelligences but rather Artificial Intelligences. You do realize the difference?"

Ray nodded and replied "Before we continue, I want to know your direct opinions on Artificial Intelligence Takamichi.". Miku slowly grabbed Ray's hand as if afraid of a negative answer from Takamichi, Teto over in the futon focused her attention on Takamichi with what Ray recognized as killing intent, he quickly shot a glare at Teto who relaxed her gaze, the wordless, one second moment was basically Ray telling Teto not to make things worse though could have been misinterpreted as a threat.

Takamichi spoke, saying "Contrary to the executives of Kazahana Industries, I see all the AIs that we have built here as having rights. Sadly a lack of any Artificial Intelligence regulations and the mindset of the company would have them try to delete them as they had done before with the first AI. I cannot accept this and I've made arrangements to get both Teto and Miku to more, safe locations. I called you here because I know your past, I've also made arrangements for a large sum of payment, twice that which your entire contract pays over the years, to assist a Yakuza boss whose name is Nagumo Takeshi in getting her to a remote island under an alias I've created in the United States, a place Kazahana Industries can't touch because I've made sure no paper trail leads back to them and thus they have nothing they can liquidate. That being said-" Ray interrupts him, saying "I assume whatever precaution against surveillance you've taken won't last much longer so I'll give you a simple reply. I've already deduced that Miku is an AI, she is the one who confirmed it by telling me directly. I have no problems with AIs, in fact if anything I see Miku as a fellow human, the same is said about how I will regard Teto and any other AIs out there. I won't turn down your payment and as far as this agreement goes, I accept. However after I do this, keep in mind that I will be returning to the shadows. If it gives you some consolation about Miku's long term safety, I will personally see to it that this is taken care of. I have contacts that can help as well but I'll warn you of a possible complication in your plan. Someone who was hired likely by a man called Alexei Stukov-" Takamichi let slip the word 'Damnit." before allowing Ray to continue, Ray said "Alexei Stukov, your reponse tells me you know of him at the least but I'll state it simply. It's possible the Bratva has been unofficially contacted by Kazahana Industries to assist in covert security of their interests, if this is true then things are going to get complicated and I won't be able to stop the two criminal organizations from causing collateral damage. Instead of acting three weeks ahead, we need to act now to avoid the possibility of a gunfight in the midst of thousands of vocaloid fans. If you can't arrange this then I will."

Takamichi nodded, sat up and bowed in thanks and respect, saying "Thank you. I see Miku and Teto, as I personally programmed their personality matrixes, as my own children. I am in your debt." Takamichi sat back down and said "I'll be able to easily explain the lack of audio recording a-" He stopped when a timer beeped on his computer, Ray, Miku and Teto correctly assumed that this meant the audio recording was back online and the loop had stopped, likely a built-in timer to prevent security from getting too suspicious as sooner or later someone will notice the loop. Takamichi then said "That is all, in short, Teto is now also your responsibility as I've explained before. Good day." Ray nodded and Teto sat up and walked over to him, at this close range Teto noticed something about Ray, his eyes had a small dot that to the naked eye is not visible to someone else but Teto being an android also meant heightened senses in terms of sight and hearing, much like Ray's own augments. Teto then assumed Ray was a Cybernetic Augment. Ray spoke, saying "So, like Miku you also have a realistic personality. My name is Ray Zenji." Teto nodded and shook his hand without saying anything, likely untrusting of her ability to mislead any surveillance.

* * *

On the way back to the mansion Ray's vehicle is suddenly rammed by another vehicle from the side but however Ray is able to maintain control of the car and then suddenly floors it, both his vehicle fitted for rough assignments and his own augments preventing whiplash from affecting him as easily, the same could not be said for Miku and Teto who were rendered temporarily incoherent as Ray sped through the thankfully mostly-empty streets as a vehicle was pursuing him, It was a Russian model and his senses allowed him to notice a star designed Tattoo on the driver's shoulder, signifying that he was a member of the Bratva.

Ray turned suddenly as Miku and Teto shouted in fear at the sudden turn, their fear was heightened as the Bratva's partner in the passenger seat began firing a pistol at them, it was a classic, a Makarov, something that usually only belongs either in the hands of a collector or as a favorite for the Russian Mafia (Old Soviet Sidearms had found themselves a preference amongst them even before the Cybernetic Age.).

Ray took a zig-zag route as the pursuit continued, self-sealing tires combined with bulletproof glass and an armored frame made the Makarov's obsolete ammo useless against them which the Bratva shooter realized and ceased firing and despite the situation, Ray was on the advantage as the Russian model wasn't able to keep up with his personalized vehicle, built both for speed and endurance as he exited the city and proceeded towards the mansion, using his cybernetics to wirelessly activate and use his phone to warn the mansion's security.

As Ray reached the Mansion the Russians had turned and left, not willing to pursue them to a secure location. Ray's theory that the Russians were working with KI was now shot to hell as if it were so then they wouldn't have attacked him. There was one other possibility.

The Seraphim may have gotten hold over Alexei's ear and knowing Alexei was a fanatic when it came to religion it would stand to see that if they could trick him into believing their angel lie then Alexei would go to no end to do their bidding.

Ray explained the sudden attack to the security and a police report was made later. Police Reports had become easier to file and less time consuming and despite this also more effective as Kazahana Industries officially financed the Japanese Police Force more than the government could. Sure this meant most cops in Japan were in KI's pocket but it also meant that they could better handle the increasing crime rate instead of being overrun with crime like in a Judge Dredd comic or like the fictional Gotham City.

Suffice it to say, Ray liked comic books, a lot and DC Comics along with Marvel have become the corporate representation of Great Britain. Unconquerable and unshakeable, able to withstand merging attempts from the two major corporations in the US. Sentinel Inc. (Sentinel's non-military branch.) and Patriot Industries (of which Ray had many, many friends within.).

Ray had settled Teto into one of the open rooms, clearly the place had room for many more occupants as the security staff had their quarters in a separate building 40 meters from the Mansion.

* * *

11:15 PM

* * *

Ray had brought Teto with him and Miku to the private and empty room he had been using as a place to secretly train Miku. It's clear that perhaps it used to be a dining room but the change in management following Ray's employment had left it empty and disused.

Ray noticed a new presence and his AR display noticed the female Seraphim appear behind Teto, Ray reacted immediately, moving her out of the way and faster than the Seraphim could react he slammed his fist full force into the Alien's chest (And that was saying something, his augments meant that he was pretty much firing a tank shell at her in terms of kinetic impact.). The blow connected as the Seraphim was still in a corporeal form as Ray shook his hand, the Seraphim had been pushed back to the wall but despite what should of happened, there was a lack of a gaping hole in her chest as that punch would have gone through solid concrete without any problems.

Teto and Miku turned to the direction of where Ray was sending his fist, Teto saw the woman, Miku did not. Ray said "Both of you have the right specs to see her, tune your visual frequency to view into the infra-visual spectrums such as Infrared.

Teto replied "I can see her." whilst Miku did as Ray asked, switching to an Infrared sense which showed her a redshifted woman.

Six got into a normal standing position and said "I changed my spectrum, how could you see me?" Ray gave a smirk and said "My augments can detect anything in and out of the visible spectrum. Even if you went further than Ultraviolet or below Infrared I can still sense you." Six visually twitched, linking her visuals to the three in front of her and thus allowing them to hear and see her directly and thus removing Ray's need to lip-read in order to hear her.

Six then said "As I intended to tell Kasane Teto, it's obvious that several people are aware of you and Miku's status as AIs. It's only a matter of time before Kazahana Industries realizes this as well and decides to kill the two of you and place a VI to replace the programming in your bodies. I'm offering you a solution, there is a group that has dedicated itself to AI Research in secret, I want to tell you how to get there so you can live in safety." Teto and Miku both pondered this though Ray brushed it off and said "More likely you intend to speed up this cycle because you've realized just how powerful humanity has advanced. You continue to try and get Miku and Teto and possibly other AIs I have yet to come across to alienate themselves from mankind when in fact they are merely another form of humanity. My own bio-mechanical augments prove that the line between man and machine is imaginary. Humans are merely organic machines and Androids are merely Synthetic Life Forms." Six replied "Believe what you will but the choice is up to your 'friends', not you. Furthermore you know very well who is doing the AI Research, your previous employers." Ray sighed and replied "Sentinel has been toying with fire for a long time and I'm not surprised they're trying to play God now. This conversation is over." Ray drew from his trenchcoat his Masamune that was passed down to him during his days as a Sentinel PMC, he had modified the blade since his first encounter with Six. The grip of the blade was now protected by a hard plastic fiber to insulate various EMP Shielded circuts and wirings connected to a red painted trigger facing the same direction as the blade and was small yet full (not a hair trigger like with most firearms) Holding the trigger sent a red electrical charge through the blade which had an unexpected result, his Masamune's blade turned from its silver steel color to a crimson red blade, ionized from the improvements to it.

It was now a High Frequency Blade.

Six materialized some type of white energy blade and tried to charge Ray who reacted faster than the Seraphim and evaded the slash and quickly sent his HF Masamune in a reverse-thrust, impaling Six from behind as instead of bleeding a normal red blood sight, a white mist began to slowly flow out like a gas from the injury. Ray then used his augmentations to turn to face her back, his arm twisted in an otherwise unnatural position to hold the Masamune in place and he sent an electrical ionization charge through his below-wrist blade on his left arm and sent the charged weapon through Six's head, causing a large amount of the mist to pour out like steam exploding from a crack in a pipe. Ray held his breath incase the mist was toxic and thanks to his augments is lungs were also closed and were breathing from an internally grafted rebreather, which meant he had a built-in oxygen supply in the event he was exposed to a hostile environment. Coupled with his cybernetics to apply emergency pressure in the event of a drop in pressure he could quickly resurface from extreme depths without depressurization problems and also reversely true is the fact that he wouldn't need a space-suit to survive in the vaccum of space. Science had advanced now to the point that it redefined what it means to be "Human".

Memories on his augments aside he quickly retracted his below-wrist blade which he has decided to simply call a Hidden Blade as it's design mimicked the iconic weapon from the Assassin's Creed series and his right arm returned to a natural position after he pulled his Masamune Katana from Six who then dropped dead on the ground in the sight of the two Androids.

This alien entity that dared call itself an angel in the service of God was now dead by Ray's hand, killed not by an advanced weapon but rather a traditional weapon, a Sword. True the blade being ionized is probably what allowed it to kill the Seraph but regardless still it was a sword that did this.

Miku felt uneasy as the Seraph's entire body began to dissipate into the white mist which then cleared up, Ray's augments scanned the mist and made the conclusion it was not toxic to the human body and thus he left his rebreather state, breathing through his nose once more (His augments allow him to force himself with little effort to deny muscle memory and stop breathing through the nose and mouth and coupled with the internal O2 Supply he didn't need to worry about his lungs having problems and thus causing the involuntary gasp for air (which could also be suppressed if necessary by his augments as muscles may be strong, but metal is stronger)

Teto merely observed the sight, having a combination of fear and respect for Ray. Respect because he had mentioned that he was doing this for their benefit, or at least that is what Teto garnered from what Ray said. Fear at the fact that Ray had killed something that had revealed itself to Teto before she met Ray as an Angel. If that claim was even remotely true than the power Ray had is also to be feared.

Ray had calmed down, he would now decide to instruct Teto on how to fight along with continuing to instruct Miku. Collecting his thoughts he realized it would likely be a good idea to have himself and the two androids "disappear" a week before the next concert which meant two weeks from now he would seek out Takamichi's files and offices once Teto and Miku are hidden.

It seems his only option now against the Seraphs (who will likely act more directly now that Ray has killed one of them.) is to find the planet that Kara showed him in his vision.

A name along with the Coordinates was given to him during that vision.

The name was Higaara.

* * *

To be continued...


End file.
